287. vegetable empanadas

June 14, 2013mayurisjikoni

Going all the way to Mexico for lunch

Empanadas are stuffed pastry or bread which are fried or baked. Originally from Portugal, this dish is being made in various countries, using fillings that are suitable for the local palate. Emapanadas are very similar to the Italian calzone, the pies from many countries, curry puffs, patties, gujiyas or googras from India. The list is endless. The type of pastry made for this dish varies from country to country. Some add egg, some add more fat and some add yeast. Since I did not want to make an egg pastry I decided to browse the internet for a correct yeast pastry for the empanadas. I decided to use a Mexican filling. Fillings can be anything right from meat, chicken, fish, vegetables to sweet fillings to serve empanadas as a dessert. I have been following the India Masterchef season 3 and when one of the participants, Yasmin Sheikh made emapanadas, I thought ‘I must try this recipe out’. Finally did so two days ago and Ajay was pretty impressed. A good dish for a light lunch or dinner or as a snack. We had the leftovers for dinner last night and they still tasted good. Though the bread became a bit soft, I just put it under the broiler or grill for a few minutes and it was good. I am sure you can heat it up in the microwave oven (I don’t have one). I am sure kids will love empanadas. Add cheese to make it more appealing to them.

Let the mixture cool down a bit. Add the chopped coriander and mix well.

Preparation of the empanadas:

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease 2 baking trays.

Gently knead the risen dough for a few seconds.

Divide the dough into 12 parts. Roll each part into a ball.

Take one ball and with the help of the extra flour roll it out into a 5 inch circle.

Place about 2 tablespoonful of the filling on one half of the circle.

Cover the filling with the other half of the circle. (half moon shape)

Seal the edges properly either with a fork, or making the twisted pattern. (like gujiyas)

Place the empanada on the greased tray.

Repeat steps 4 to 8 using the rest of the dough and filling. Leave about an inch of space between the empanadas.

Brush the tops of the empanadas with milk.

Place the trays in the hot oven and bake the empanadas for 20 to 25 minutes till the tops are brown.

Serve immediately with your favourite salad , guacamole or salsa.

Tips:

You can fold the empanadas into a square shape if you like.

Use any filling of your choice.

Use taco seasoning if you like. Reduce the amount of spices mentioned above, if you are using a seasoning.

Add cheese if you like.

If you are using dry active yeast but not instant, you need to ferment the yeast before adding it to the flour. Add sugar to half the water and sprinkle the yeast over it. Cover and let it ferment for 10 minutes.

The amount of water required for the dough will depend on the wheat flour. Some tend to absorb more water than others.